Hippopotamus lemerlei
58,00 €
Series: Pleistocene.
Origin: southern Madagascar.
Measurements: 7.4 cm x 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm
1 in stock
Lemerle dwarf hippopotamus molar.
The Lemerle dwarf hippopotamus had a total of 36 teeth (8 incisors, 4 canines, 12 premolars and 12 molars).
Its main dental characteristics include:
- Complete dental formula: 2 incisors, 1 canine, 3 premolars and 3 molars, both in the upper and lower jaw.Â
- incisors: They were used exclusively for fighting, defending and exhibiting dominance, not for eating. Smaller than those of the modern hippopotamus.
- fangs (canines): They continued to grow throughout their lives and were used for defense and territorial competition, although they were proportionally smaller than those of their continental ancestors, in line with the insular dwarfism of the species.
- premolars: Located behind the fangs, they are responsible for crushing and cutting fibrous stems.
- molars: the most posterior teeth. They have wide, flat ridges specifically designed to crush vegetation before digestion.
The Lemerle dwarf hippopotamus is an extinct species of Malagasy hippopotamus.
Bones of Hippopotamus lemerlei They have been discovered mainly in rivers and lakes in western Madagascar, suggesting a habitat very similar to that of the modern hippopotamus in modern Africa. It also shared elevated eyes that allow it to see better while submerged.
Although it was a clear relative of the common hippopotamus, H. lemerlei It was much smaller, about the size of the modern pygmy hippopotamus.
The box is included in the price.
